Search Results for: strategic
Standing on the Shoulders of Movements
All our organizations stand on the shoulders of movements. Are you strengthening the movements that provide the nutrients for your org?
The Board Just Fired Me …and I’m the Founder!
A nonprofit founder provides a first-person account of what it’s like to be fired from her organization — by a board that she had put together.
Outsource Your Bookkeeping!
Outsourced accounting — having the accounting done by an outside person or firm — isn’t new, but it is getting a second look as nonprofits search for ways to cut office costs.
Nonprofit Lessons from Star Wars
Deepak Bhargava of the Center for Community Change channels the Force to call nonprofits to action, drawing parallels to Star Wars.
Foundation-Nonprofit “Partnerships” — Fact or Fiction?
Between foundations and nonprofits, sharing values, connections, and other support is good — but the relationship should be focused on funds.
How to Get a Job at a Foundation
How foundations say they hire is often different from how they approach the hiring process. We asked foundation staffers how they got hired.
The Philanthropic-Consultant Industrial Complex
Rather than supporting nonprofits, foundations and consultants are increasingly telling nonprofits what they should be doing.
Take A Fresh Look at Scrip Fundraising
Increasingly, nonprofits are finding scrip to be a comparatively easy way to raise funds. How does scrip fundraising work, anyway?
Ditch Your Board Composition Matrix
Board composition matrices focus our attention on what people are, rather than on what the organization needs board members to do.
Stuck Between a Financial Crisis Wrought by the Founder and a Hard Place
A deputy director describes the crisis at an organization where the founding executive director left, and how the organization almost closed.
Collective Impact: Resistance is Futile
Collective Impact (CI) has covered lots of ground, but like taking naps at work, it should be done strategically and sometimes not at all.
Ten Biggest Mistakes Boards and Executives Make
“To err is human,” and as we all ruefully know, nonprofit board members and executive directors are typically human.
Nonprofit Executive Director Gives Advice on Love, Marriage, and Other Stuff
Executive directors are problem solvers. But why keep it to just nonprofit problems? We would make great advice columnists!
Following a Founder or Long-Timer Requires a Hard Head
Blue Avocado asked for potential interviewees who had followed a founder or a long-time executive. We didn’t expect 58 people to respond.
Robert Egger: “Our Sector Is About To Be Hit, And Hit Hard” A Blue Avocado Interview
Robert Egger on advice to young nonprofit leaders, how the sector has changed, and why it’s more important than ever that we take risks.
In the Board Room: Staying In the Loop And Out Of the Weeds
When information is part of the board directive as a whole, organizations reinforce the importance of shared responsibility and governance.
In the Boardroom: Asked to Join that Board?
Asked to join a nonprofit board? Here’s what to look for in your due diligence process – before you sign on the dotted line.
Branching out: Raising more dollars by understanding donors’ differences
Broaden your fundraising tactics to be more inclusive of multigenerational giving. Employ technology to save time and resources.
Nonprofit Leadership Tips from the Basketball Court
“If you play life as a game, you’ll always win.” While the work of nonprofits is no game, there are many lessons we can learn from them.
The Best Way To Put Clients First Is To Let Them Lead!
Internal tension and disagreements began to dissipate when the voices of those we serve were engaged in dialogue and decision-making.